Holder for directories



No. 625,048. 7 Patented May I6, 1899. A. MARKS.

HOLDER FOR DIRECTORIES, CATALOGUES,

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1898.)

(No Model.)

NiTED STATES PATENT rFIcE.

ALFRED MARKS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HOLDER FOR DIRECTORIES, CATALOGUES, 86C;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,048, dated May 16,1899;

Application filed December 15,1898. Serial No. 699,371. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it wtcty concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED MARKS, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holdersfor Directories, Gatalogues,or Similar Articles; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful catalogue, directory,or index holder for use in libraries, ofiices, stores, houses, orsimilar places; and it consists in the arrangement of parts and detailsof construction, as will be hereinafter fully set forth in the drawingsand described and pointed out in the specification.

The invention is mainly designed for the holding oftelephone-directories which are arranged in book form, and moreespecially for the directory for larger cities or where the same issubdivided into two books, or one directory for the city and anothercovering the entire State; and the object of the invention is to providea holder which may be readily secured to the wall in close proximity tothe telephone and which willen able the operator or user of thetelephone to quickly and easily handle the directory in order toascertain any desired subscribers number or call,the holder being sodesigned that either directory may be made use of without interferingwith the other.

In order to comprehend the invention, reference must be had to theaccompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part of this application,wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the holder. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the holder with the index-books or directories attachedthereto,

and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the letter A is used to illdicate any suitablebase-plate or platform which is adapted to be secured to the wall bymeans of screws or suitable securing devices a. At each end of thebase-plate or platform is attached a bearing-plate A, within which arefitted the bent arms a a of the support ing-rod A Being thus connected,the supporting-arm is free to swing in and out upon the base or platformA. This form of connectlon is preferred, owing to its simplicity,

although. any other suitable style of connec= tion may be employed forattaching the supporting-rod to the said base orplatform. To thissupporting-rod is removably secured the book or directory holding rod B,the ends of which rod are bent downward and then up* ward in order toform the spring-clamps b b, by means of which the said holding-rod isattached tothe supporting-rod A By means of this holding-rod B and thespring-clamp B, mounted upon the supporting-rod A the book ortelephone-directory is' secured in place. This holding-rod is ordinarilyemployed to attach the State directory 0 in place. The city or smallerdirectory 0 is attached to a supplemental rod B the ends 19 of which arebent downward and turned over the supporting-rod, so as to permit of therod B being free to swing inward and outward without interfering withthe movement of the holding-rod A To this supplementalrod is removablyconnected the holding-rod 0 which rod has its ends bent downward andupward, so as to form the springclamps d d, which embrace the rod B inorder to provide a hinged connection for the holding-rod 0 This rodstands parallel to the holding-rod B, although each rod is capable ofmovement independent of the other. By means of this holding-rod C andthe spring 0 mounted upon the supplemental supporting-rod E the book ordirectory 0' is secured or held in place.

I have only illustrated the device as holding two books, catalogues, ordirectories, although it is apparent that the same may be readilyadapted for the holding of any numher, the only requirement being toprovide the necessary holding-rods therefor.

In order to secure a book, catalogue, or directory to the holder,one ofthe holding-rodssay Bis removed and placed between the leaves of thebook or article to be secured at about the center thereof, the endsthereof projecting beyond the upper and lower edges of the book. Theholding-rod is then connected to the supporting-rod by slipping orfitting the spring-clamp ends ob thereover. When the holding-rod is thussecured, the book will be held in a vertical or upright position. Toprevent the book slipping or being pulled from off the holding-rodduring use thereof, the spring-clamp is fitted over the backbone thereofand embracing the edges of the book firmly hold the same securely to theholding-rod. The other book, catalogue, or index is attached to theholder in the same manner-that is, the holdingwod O is first insertedbetween the leaves of the book and then secured to the supplemental rod13 by the spring-clamp ends cl 61 being forced thereover and firmlysecuring the book in position by attaching the spring-clamp (J to thebackbone thereof.

To remove either book, it is only necessary to release the clamp for thebackbone, after which the book may be slipped from its holdin g-rod.Should three or more books be held to the holder, it might be necessaryto disconnect the holding-rod in order to remove the book.

To one end of the base or platform there is fulcrumed by pin f theswinging arm or indicator E. This indicator is used to hold the bookopen at any given place. After the desired place has been found by theuser of the book the arm or indicator E is swung over, so as to bearupon the leaves of the book and hold the same open by the pressurethereof. The arm or indicator is of such length as to bear upon eachhalf-section of the book. This feature will be appreciated by users oftelephones, as it holds the book or directory open at the desired placewhile the user is Waiting for the central office to respond to a call.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent, is

1. In a holder of the described character, the combination with asuitable base or platform, of a supporting-rod attached thereto, anindependent book-holder removably secured to said rod and free to swingthereon, and a clamp slidably secured upon the supporting-rod and whichengages the backbone of the book in order to secure the book in avertical position.

2. In a holder of the described character, the combination with asuitable base or platform, of a supporting-rod secured thereto, abook-holder rem ovably connected to said rod, a supplemental rodattached to said supportin g-rod, and of a book-holder removablyconnected to the supplemental rod, said bookholder being free to swinginward and outward independent of the other.

3. In a holder of the described character, the combination with asuitable base or platform ,a supporting-rod secured thereto,a bookholderremovably connected to said rod,a supplemental supportin grod attachedto the firsti'nentioned supporting-rod, a book-holder removablyconnected to the supplemental supporting-rod, and of aclamp, whichengages the backbone of the book secured upon each supporting-rod.

4. In a holder of the described character, the combination with asuitable base or platform, of a supporting-rod secured thereto, abook-holder removably attached to the said rod, a clamp which engagesthe backbone of the book secured upon the supporting-rod, and of afinger or indicator fulcrumed to the base or platform.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 22d dayof November,'1S9S.

' ALFRED MARKS.

IVitnesses:

WALTER F. VANE, N. A. AOKER.

